Tasty Chicken and Broccoli with Brown Sauce

Coming up with quick dinner ideas that actually work for busy weeknights can feel like an impossible task. Between after-school activities, work deadlines, and the general chaos of everyday life, finding time to cook a proper meal often takes a back seat to convenience foods or takeout.

That’s where this chicken and broccoli with brown sauce comes to the rescue: it’s faster than delivery, packed with protein and veggies, and uses simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. Plus, it’s the kind of recipe that always leaves everyone at the table happy and satisfied.

What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

For this Chinese-style dish, you can use either chicken breast or thighs – both work great, but they’ll give you slightly different results. Chicken breast is leaner and will give you neat, clean-looking pieces, while thighs have more flavor and stay juicier during cooking. If you’re using breast meat, be extra careful not to overcook it since it can dry out quickly. For the best results, make sure your chicken (whether breast or thigh) is sliced against the grain into pieces about 1/4 inch thick – this helps it cook evenly and stay tender in the sauce.

Options for Substitutions

This Chinese takeout favorite can be made with several easy substitutions if you’re missing ingredients:

• Shaoxing wine: If you can’t find Shaoxing wine, dry sherry makes a good substitute. In a pinch, you can use dry white wine or even chicken broth with a splash of rice vinegar.
• Dark soy sauce: Regular soy sauce plus a tiny bit of molasses can work instead of dark soy sauce. The color won’t be quite the same, but the flavor will be close.
• Oyster sauce: For a vegetarian option or if you’re out of oyster sauce, try hoisin sauce or mushroom sauce. You might need to reduce the sugar slightly as these tend to be sweeter.
• White pepper: Black pepper works fine if you don’t have white pepper – just know it might leave visible specks in the sauce.
• Broccoli: Feel free to swap broccoli with other veggies like cauliflower, green beans, or snow peas. Just adjust cooking time based on the vegetable you choose.
• Cornstarch: Potato starch or arrowroot powder can replace cornstarch in equal amounts for thickening the sauce.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when cooking chicken and broccoli is overcrowding the pan, which causes the chicken to steam instead of getting that perfect golden-brown sear – work in batches if needed and make sure your wok or pan is really hot before adding the meat. Another common error is overcooking the broccoli until it becomes mushy; instead, blanch it just until bright green and still crisp-tender, then shock in ice water to maintain its texture and color. When it comes to the brown sauce, avoid adding the cornstarch slurry too quickly or all at once – drizzle it in gradually while stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming and achieve that perfect silky consistency. For the best flavor development, make sure to let your chicken marinate for at least 20 minutes before cooking, and don’t skip the dark soy sauce as it adds both color and depth to the dish.

What to Serve With Chicken and Broccoli?

Since this Chinese-style chicken and broccoli already comes with a tasty brown sauce, steamed white rice is the perfect base to soak up all those delicious flavors. If you’re looking to keep things lighter, cauliflower rice works great too, or try some brown rice for extra fiber. For a complete Chinese restaurant experience at home, start your meal with some hot and sour soup or egg drop soup. You could also add some simple sides like spring rolls or crispy wontons to round out your meal.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: This chicken and broccoli dish stays good in the fridge for up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container. The sauce might thicken up a bit in the fridge, but that’s totally normal. It’s perfect for meal prep – I like to portion it out with rice for easy lunches throughout the week.

Freeze: If you want to freeze this dish, go for it! Place it in a freezer-safe container and it’ll keep for up to 3 months. Just keep in mind that the broccoli might be a bit softer when thawed, but the flavor will still be there. The sauce freezes really well too.

Reheat: To warm it up, just pop it in the microwave for a minute or two, stirring halfway through. You can also reheat it in a wok or skillet over medium heat – this helps maintain the texture better. If the sauce seems too thick, just add a splash of water or chicken broth while reheating.

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	20-30 minutes
Total Time	30-45 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 600-700
• Protein: 60-70 g
• Fat: 35-45 g
• Carbohydrates: 40-50 g

Ingredients

• 12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast or thighs (340g)
• 3 tablespoons water (45 ml)
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup warm low sodium chicken broth (160 ml)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar or brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 4 cups broccoli florets (300g)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (optional)
• 1 tablespoon shaoxing rice wine
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water to make a slurry

Step 1: Marinate the Chicken

Begin by slicing the chicken and placing it in a bowl.

Add 3 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, and 1 ½ teaspoons of vegetable oil.

Rub these marinade ingredients into the chicken with your hands until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Let the marinated chicken sit for 10 minutes to enhance the flavor.

Step 2: Prepare the Sauce Mixture

In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, combine warm chicken stock, sugar, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper.

Stir everything together until well mixed.

Set this sauce mixture aside, as it will be used shortly in the cooking process.

Step 3: Blanch the Broccoli

Bring water to a boil in your wok.

Once boiling, add the broccoli and blanch it for 1 minute, or 2 minutes if you prefer softer broccoli.

After blanching, drain the broccoli and set it aside until needed.

Step 4: Sear the Chicken

Clean and dry your wok, then place it over high heat until it begins to smoke.

Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and sear the marinated chicken until it turns opaque on all sides.

This should take around 3 minutes.

Turn off the heat and remove the chicken from the wok; it will be approximately 90% cooked at this point and will finish cooking later.

Step 5: Cook the Sauce

Without washing the wok, set the flame to medium heat.

Add another tablespoon of oil, along with garlic and ginger if using.

Stir them for about 5 seconds.

Pour Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, then add the sauce mixture.

Use your wok spatula to stir the sauce around the sides to deglaze the wok, and let everything come to a simmer.

Step 6: Thicken the Sauce and Combine Ingredients

Stir up your cornstarch and water slurry, then drizzle it into the simmering sauce while continuously stirring.

Allow the sauce to simmer for 10 to 15 seconds until it achieves a thick, gravy-like consistency.

Add the chicken along with its juices and the blanched broccoli to the wok.

Stir-fry until everything is well coated in the sauce.

Step 7: Final Adjustments and Serve

Make final adjustments to the sauce if necessary.

For a darker sauce, add a dash more dark soy sauce.

Adjust thickness by adding more cornstarch slurry if needed, or thin it with chicken stock or water if too thick.

Serve hot over steamed rice and enjoy your delicious meal!